Bahir Dar University
Faculty of Social Sciences
Journal Policy for Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences (EJSS)
October 2014
Bahir Dar
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Introduction
Bahir Dar University is one of the leading public universities in Ethiopia with a principal
mission of undertaking research and disseminating research findings. In line with the
mission of the university, the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) engages in teaching,
community service and research activities.
Realizing that publication of a journal contributes to the teaching-learning process, staff
development and promotion, creates an opportunity for the availability and access of new
insights, perspectives and paradigms, the faculty has established the Ethiopian Journal of
Social Sciences (EJSS).
About the Journal
EJSS is a blind peer reviewed journal published in printed form. It is a biannual journal
open to all interested contributors.
Focus and Scope
EJSS publishes scholarly works focusing on historical, socio-economic, development,
cultural, gender, political and environmental issues. Contributions for the journal should
include full-length original research articles, review articles, book reviews and letters.
Mission and Objectives
The Journal works for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in social
sciences. It provides a platform for the research community to share their findings,
insights and views in social sciences. The Journal serves as a forum of critical,
constructive and problem-solving research and knowledge creation.
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Section One: General Provisions
Article 1. Establishment of Journal
It is hereby decided by the Academic Commission of the Faculty of the Social Sciences
of BDU, that the Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences (EJSS) is established.
Article 2. Nomenclature
The journal established by this document shall be known as Ethiopian Journal of Social
Sciences (EJSS), herein after referred to as the Journal.
Section Two: Organization and Management of the Journal
Article 3. Management and Editorial Team of the Journal
It is decided that the Journal shall have
a. Advisory Board
b. Editorial Committee
c. Editor-in-Chief
d. Language Editor
Sub Article 3.1. The Advisory Board
1. Composition
The Advisory Board shall be composed of:
a. Faculty’s postgraduate, research and community service coordinator; chairperson
b. Two senior academic staff of the Faculty elected by the Academic Commission
c. Editor-in-Chief of the Journal
d. International advisors from other universities and research institutes
2. Responsibilities
1. The Advisory Board will be responsible for monitoring the overall activities of
the Journal, set directions for the performance of the Journal and evaluate the
Journal in accordance with its stated objectives.
2. The Advisory Board shall meet twice in a year. Additional meetings may be
called whenever necessary.
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Sub Article 3.2. The Editorial Committee
The Academic Commission of the Faculty shall assign members of the Editorial
Committee. The Committee shall serve for a renewable term of two years. A member
may resign or be removed for failure of discharging duties.
1. Composition and term of service of members
The Editorial Committee shall be composed of:
a. The Editor-in-Chief, chairperson and
b. Six academic staff members from the Faculty
2. Responsibilities
1. The Editorial Committee shall be accountable to the postgraduate, research and
community service coordinator of the faculty;
2. The Editorial Committee shall be responsible to do the actual editorial work and
ensure the originality and quality of all contributions that appear in the Journal.
3. It shall review and select manuscripts for publication in the Journal.
4. It shall control the quality of the Journal by checking the content (originality,
merit and relevance), language (grammar and content flow or coherence), and
aesthetics (organization, clarity, flow of ideas and writing style) of the
submissions that appear in the Journal;
5. It shall solicit by all appropriate means high quality submissions;
6. It shall work to enhance the Journal’s reputability among the academic
community;
7. It shall set priority for publication of contributions.
3. Responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief
The Editor-in-Chief:
1. Shall ensure the overall editing processes of the Journal and is responsible
and accountable for all the content approved for publishing;
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2. Can approve or reject the manuscript based on the evaluation criteria and
in consultation with the Editorial Committee and the reviewer(s);
3. Shall check the type setting and layout work of each issue of the Journal;
4. Shall oversee and guide the manuscript review and selection process;
5. Shall ensure that feedback provided to contributors is constructive, fair
and timely;
6. Shall oversee all the stages of the Journal from the manuscript form to the
published stage and its distribution to concerned bodies and subscribers;
and shall meet publication deadline;
7. Shall send written timely report for the concerned bodies;
8. Shall set annual plan, evaluate performance and take appropriate actions;
9. Shall work with the Advisory Board of the Journal to craft and implement
improved editorial policies that will upgrade the standard of the Journal;
10. Shall provide, in consultation with the Editorial Committee, the Journal’s
response to appeals, complaints, suggestions from readers, and ethical
problems regarding published works ;
11. Shall represent and communicate on behalf of the Journal;
12. Shall forward, anonymously, contributions to be reviewed by members of
the Editorial Committee and external reviewers;
13. Shall coordinate and manage the day-to-day activities of the Journal;
14. Shall perform such other functions as are incidental and essential to the
attainment of the objectives of the Journal.
Article 4. Language Editor
1. The Journal shall have an English/Amharic language editor who is
English/Amharic language professional assigned by and accountable to the
Editorial Committee;
2. The editor shall review the text and identify errors related to the use of language;
3. The specific editing tasks may include any of the following: correction of
grammatical mistakes, spelling errors, incorrect punctuation, inconsistency in
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usages, poorly structured sentences, parts that do not make sense, wrong usage of
words.
Section 3: Editorial Policy
Article 5. Time of publication
The Journal is biannual publication that will appear in December and May every year.
Article 6. Language of publication
Manuscripts appear in the Journal in English or Amharic languages.
Article 7. Originality of contributions
All manuscripts that appear in the Journal should be unpublished original works of
the author.
Article 8. Content of the Journal
The Journal will feature:
a. Research articles
The Journal shall feature three-five full length research articles in each issue.
b. Book reviews
These are contributions in which any book in the field of social science will be reviewed.
The Journal shall feature not more than three book reviews in each issue.
c. Messages and letters
The Journal will also feature the message from the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal. It will
also feature a letter on issues that deserve attention.
Article 8: Size contributions
The Journal in each issue shall have 100-125 pages.
The size of contributions shall be as follows:
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o Feature articles: Min 7 pages, max 20 pages
o Book review: Max 3 pages
o Message and letter: Max 2 pages
Article 9. Process of Submission
1. All contributions to the Journal should be submitted in the time indicated
in the call for papers.
These shall not preclude the acceptance of
contributions at any time if offer is made by authors interested in the
Journal.
2. Submission should, in a separate page (cover letter), include full name of
the author(s), educational qualification, institutional affiliation, current
occupation, contact address (e-mail, mail and phone number) and
3. An author should also submit an abstract of about 150 words.
4. The contribution should be free from any self-identifying information
about the author. Identifying information should be indicated only in the
cover letter.
5. Contributions should be submitted in soft copy (in word document) via the
e-mail addressed to be indicated in the call for paper or two hard copies by
mail together with soft copy in CD.
Article10. Review Procedure
1. Principle
1. Reviewers should not be let know the identity of the author of contributions. Nor
should authors be allowed to know the identity of the reviewer of the
contributions.
2. The Editor-in-Chief shall upon receipt of the contributions and before forwarding
to reviewers, make sure that clear and embedded identifying information are
removed from the contribution and assign code.
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2. Contributions other than feature articles
All contributions other than original research articles, review articles and book reviews
shall be reviewed by the Editorial Committee who will decide on the publication of such
contributions based on criteria set in advance by the Committee.
3. Review Procedure for original articles, review articles and book reviews
1. Original articles, review articles and book reviews shall first be reviewed by the
Editor-in-Chief in consultation with the Editorial Committee for consistency with
the editorial policy of the Journal;
2. Original articles, review articles and book reviews which the Editor-in-Chief in
and the Editorial Committee consider acceptable, will be referred by the Editorin-Chief to two anonymous reviewers ;
3. The anonymous reviewers to whom the manuscript is forwarded shall review the
article based on the following criteria and assign points out of 100% and send the
feedback to the Editor-in-Chief within fifteen days. The criteria are:
Criteria
Weight (%)
Originality
15
Title
5
Abstract
10
Statement of the Problem and Objectives
10
Methods
20
Results and Discussion
20
Conclusion and Recommendation
15
Overall Clarity and organization of the manuscript
5
Total
100
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Criteria for reviewing book and article reviews
No.
Criteria
1.
Orginality
2.
Argument and reasoning
Is the review well argued?
Has the reviewer used his reasoning power to convince readers?
Is the analysis evidence based?
Is the structure of the argument logical?
3.
Knowledge and Understanding
Does the review demonstrate thorough and accurate understanding
of the subject matter?
Has the reviewer used a good range of relevant sources?
Does the review show his/her ability to think critically?
Does the work contribute to the existing body of knowledge?
4.
Presentation and style
Has the reviewer used appropriate language
Is the review presented well?
Is the work meticulously organised?
Is the style of presentation appealing to readers?
5.
Overall clarity of the book review or review article
6.
Overall contribution of the review
Total
Weight (%)
15
20
5
5
5
5
20
5
5
5
5
20
5
5
5
5
10
15
100 %
4. A manuscript that get an average point of less than 50% points or less than
average rating in any of the evaluation criteria, taking together the points assigned
by the reviewers should be rejected and the decision should immediately be
communicated to the authors.
5. A manuscript that get average points of 50% points or above with at least average
rating in all of the evaluation criteria will be published in the Journal provided
that the author duly addresses comments forwarded by the reviewers.
6. The contributions that appear in the single issue of the Journal shall be selected by
the Editorial Committee based on the points earned by each contribution.
7. Contributors shall be notified as to whether or not their contribution will appear in
the issue of the Journal under preparation for publication or in which issue of the
Journal it will feature.
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8. Contributors whose manuscripts have been featured in the Journal shall receive
two hard copies of the issue.
Article 11. Special procedure- conflict of interest
Conflicts of interest in publishing can be defined as conditions in which an individual
holds conflicting or competing interests that could bias editorial decisions. Conflicts of
interest may be only potential or perceived, or they may be factual. Personal, political,
financial, academic, or religious considerations can affect objectivity in numerous ways.
Editors conflict of interest

Editors should not have personal financial involvement in manuscripts they
consider for publication.

An editor should disqualify him- or herself from any decision-making role on a
manuscript addressing a subject on which he or she has a potential conflict of
interest.

Editors may also disqualify themselves from evaluating submissions by local
colleagues or friends or submissions that clash with their personal convictions.

The review of contributions submitted by members of the Editorial Committee
should be coordinated by other members of the Editorial Committee.
Article 12. Confidentiality
Manuscripts, or parts thereof, or comments of reviewers, is protected from any personal
use by editors, reviewers or journal staff.
Article 13. Plagiarism
Taking another person's work (or part of a work) as your own is plagiarism. Plagiarism
ranges from the un-referenced use of others’ published and unpublished ideas, including
research grant applications, to submission under “new” authorship of a complete paper,
sometimes in a different language.
All sources should be disclosed, and if large amounts of other people’s written or
illustrative material are to be used, permission must be sought.
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Article 14. Dealing with misconduct
Depending on the gravity of the misconduct the measures to be taken may include:

request for confirmation of data;

request for re-writing;

rejection of a paper;

referral to the institute the author is affiliated with;

retracting a paper

disclosing the author’s misconduct to the public.
Article 15. Compliant Handling Procedure
The EJSS will address complaints that may challenge editorial decisions. Accordingly
A. An author who wants to challenge the editorial decision has to lodge a complaint
letter to the Editor-in-Chief.
B. The Editor-in- Chief in consultation with the Editorial Committee and the
reviewer will decide on the complaints.
Article 16. Opinion expressed in the Journal
Opinions expressed in the Journal, except the message from the Editor-in-Chief,
reflect the views of the authors and not that of the Journal or the Editorial Board.
Article 17. Copyright
Copyright of papers published by EJSS must be assigned to Ethiopian Journal of Social
Sciences by the corresponding author unless copyright already belongs to a prior
publisher. EJSS has never refused reprint permission to authors and does not charge for
this unless the reprinting (including posting on a website) is for commercial purposes.
Article 18. Miscellaneous
1. This journal policy shall enter into force on the day it is adopted by the Academic
Commission of the Faculty of Social Sciences.
2. This journal policy should be interpreted and applied in accordance with the
research and publication policy and guideline of the University and the Faculty.
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Reviewers’ Guide
Annex 1
ETHIOPIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (EJSS)
Manuscript Evaluation Form
Manuscript No.
Reviewer No:
Due date: _________________
Title:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RETURN TO: The Editor-in-Chief, Ethiopian Journal of Social Sciences, Faculty of
Social Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, P. O. Box 79,
Tel. +251 911759867, e-mail: fantahun@gmail.com
1. Guide to Reviewers
The purpose of the review is to provide the academic and professional editors with an
expert opinion regarding the quality of the manuscript under consideration, and should
also supply authors with explicit feedback on how to improve their papers so that they
will be acceptable for publication. The anonymous reviewers to whom the manuscript is
forwarded shall review it based on the following criteria and assign point out of 100%.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
Evaluation parameters
Originality
Is the manuscript sufficiently novel and interesting to warrant
publication?
Does it add to the body of knowledge?
Title
Does it clearly and concisely describe the article?
Abstract
Does it reflect the content of the article?
Does it provide a clear description of the research problem
and objectives?
Does it clearly describe the methods used?
Have the findings been accurately summarized?
Statement of the Problem and Objectives
Is the research problem well-justified?
Does the author provide justification for the study based upon
a review of relevant literature?
Does the gaps in the literature addressed?
Are the objectives of the manuscript well- articulated?
Methods
Is the method(s)/approaches of the study clearly described?
Is the design suitable for answering the research question?
Weight (%)
15%
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Score
7
5%
5
10%
2
2
3
3
10%
3
2
3
2
20%
5
4
12
6
7
8
Was the sampling design appropriate?
Does the author accurately explain how the data were
collected and analysed?
Have the equipment and materials been adequately described?
Results and Discussion
Does the author explain what is discovered in the research?
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5
Does the author use appropriate analysis in explaining the
result?
Has the author indicated how the results relate to earlier
research?
Does the result support or contradict previous theories?
Conclusion and Recommendation
Does the conclusion explain how the research has moved the
body of scientific knowledge forward?
Are the claims supported by the results?
Overall Clarity and organization of the manuscript
Does the manuscript organized and written with appropriate
language, referencing style and formatting?
Total
5
2
20%
5
5
5
15%
8
7
5%
5
100
2. Grading Scale and Decision
The reviewers should indicate one of the following decisions based on the total score
obtained above.
Scale
Grade
Decision
>90%
Excellent
Accept the manuscript as submitted
70%-89%
Very Good
Accept it with minor revision
50%-69%
Good
Invite the authors to submit a major revision of the
Tick Mark ()
manuscript before a final decision is reached
Below
50%
Failed
Rejected, typically because it does not fit the
criteria outlined above
3. Summary of Strengths and Weaknesses
3.1.
What do you see as the major strengths of the paper in its present form?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13
3.2.
What do you see as the major weaknesses of the paper in its present form?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------4. Comments and Suggestions for the Author(s):
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5. ANONYMITY -Your name will NOT be made known to the author.
Name of the reviewer:
_________________________________
Signature: _______________________________
Date ___________________________________
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Authors’ Guide
Annex 2
Ethiopian Journal of Social Science generally follows the style and citation rules outlined
below. For the reference list the Journal follows rules of APA and MLA for contributions
on topics of history.
Citation of references in Text:
a) Citation of references in the text
Direct citation
Indirect citation:
Ahlgren and Boberg (1992)
Ahlgern et al. (2006)
(Ahlgen & Boberg, 1992)
Author’s Affiliation:
The author’s affiliation should be indicated in a footnote marked by an asterisk and not
by an Arabic number. Authors should refer to themselves in the third person throughout
the text.
Headings:
Manuscripts shall have an abstract, introduction and the body arranged in a logically
organized headings and sub-headings. Major words in titles are capitalized, Bold Roman
and caps after colon. Abstract should be single paragraph and no reference is needed.
Headings in the various sections of the manuscript shall be aligned to the left margin of
the page and shall be as follows:
Abstract- Bold Roman
Introduction- Unbold Roman
1. First Heading
1.1. Second Heading
1.1.1. Third Heading-Italics
1.1.1.1. Fourth heading
i. Fifth heading
a. Sixth heading
Conclusion
Italicization:
All non-English words must be italicized
Emphasis:
To indicate emphasis use italics.
References:
All contributions should duly acknowledge any reference or quotation from the work of
other authors or previous works of the same author. References should be made in the
original language of the source document referred to.
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Quotations:
Quotations of more than forty words should be indented left (for APA); left and right (for
MLA) without any quotation marks. Quotation marks in the block should appear as they
normally do. Quotations of less than forty words should be in quotation marks and not
indented form the text. Regarding alterations in quotation, use:Square bracket “[ ]” to note any change in the quoted material;
Ellipsis “…” to indicate omitted material;
“[sic]” to indicate mistake in the original quote.
Footnotes:
If used footnotes should be consecutively numbered and be set out at the foot of each
page and cross- referred using ibid as appropriate. Footnote numbers are placed outside
of punctuation marks.
References in footnotes:
References in footnotes should generally contain sufficient information about the source
material.
Books:
Brownlie, I. (2003). Principles of Local Government (5th ed.). New York: Oxford
University Press.
Contributions in edited books:
Fleck, D. (2008). The law of Non-International Armed Conflicts. In D. Fleck (ed.), The
Handbook of International Humanitarian Law ( 2nd Ed). Oxford: Oxford
University Press, pp.613-678
Dissertation:
Kebede Yimam. (2004). Learning is Lifelong (Doctoral dissertation in Education, Addis
Ababa University).
Articles in journals:
Jinks, D. (2003). September 11 and the Laws of War. Yale Journal of International Law,
28(1), 24-35.
Legislations:
Federal Courts Proclamation, 1996, Art. 8(1) &(2) Proc. No. 25/1996. Fed. Neg. Gaz.,
year2, no. 1.
Treaties:
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 1969, Article 31.
Resolutions: Security Council Resolution 1368(2001), at WWW
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http://dacessed.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/NO1/533/82/PDF/N0153382.pdf?openElement>
(accessed 10 August 2008).
Figures and Tables:
Text citation in brackets
(Fig.3), (Figs. 3 and 4)
(Table5), (Tables 5 and 8)
* Within text, use the full word e.g. in Figure 1.
Report: European Commission. (2002). Environmental Disaster in the Pacific. Policy
Report. Brussels
Submission Format Requirement
All contributions should be submitted in Microsoft Word document format, written in 12
fonts, same type of spacing(double space or 1.5) for all parts of the manuscript including
abstract, quotations, references and footnotes, Times New Roman (Footnotes in 10 fonts,
single space, Times New Roman).
Tables and figures should be placed in an extra document, not in the text (but indicate
where the tables or figures appear on the respective pages).
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